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Opposition mounts to bike lanes
Jackson Ward residents and business owners are fighting back against city plans to allow bikes exclusive use of one lane of 1st and 2nd streets, which comprise the main commercial district for the historically African-American section of Downtown.
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School Board under time crunch to fill 7th District seat
The Richmond School Board has yet to begin the process of replacing Nadine Marsh-Carter, but it will not be able to dawdle in filling the 7th District seat from which she resigned last week or in deciding when to hold a special election. State law gives the now eight-member board 45 days to appoint a temporary representative until a special election can be held to fill the remainder of Ms. Marsh-Carter’s four-year term.
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Rick Winston leaves Consolidated for City Hall
Darryl R. “Rick” Winston has jumped from banker to bureaucrat at City Hall. He is now the administrator for city economic development programs after serving two years as president of Premier Bank’s Consolidated Division in Jackson Ward.
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VCU prof receives NIH grant for child asthma collaboration
Robin S. Everhart is seeking to prove that community collaboration can upgrade the health and well-being of Richmond children suffering from asthma, the chronic lung disease that makes if difficult to breathe. She’ll have her chance.
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Maggie Small to dance in ‘Portrait of Billie’
Maggie Small is excited and honored to be portraying Billie Holiday in next week’s opening show of the Richmond Ballet’s new season.
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18 out of 44
That’s how many city public schools are fully accredited
The good news: 18 of Richmond’s 44 public schools — 41 percent — are fully accredited based on relatively high student pass rates on state Standards of Learning tests. That’s an increase from last year’s 17 accredited schools, according to the Virginia Department of Education. The bad news: Richmond has 19 schools that have been denied accreditation because of low student pass rates on SOL tests.
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Will Richmond be the next Charlottesville?
In defiance of Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s ban on demonstrations at the Robert E. Lee statue on Monument Avenue, a little known Tennessee-based group of Confederate sympathizers is going ahead with a rally to promote protection of the statue.
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Tall grass can net fine in Richmond
Richmond City Hall is imposing a $50 fine on any property owner who lets his or her grass reach 12 inches or taller. The fines can reach a hefty $200 for those who let it happen again, and ultimately could lead to court action for those who fail to break out the mower.
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City Hall to state auditor: No way city on brink of $ distress
No way could this be correct. That is City Hall’s response to a finding by the state auditor of public accounts that Richmond is one of five localities — including Bristol, Petersburg and two unidentified counties — that are facing the most severe financial stress. The Free Press disclosed the finding in the Aug. 31-Sept. 2 edition.
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RPS opens with shortage of 54 teachers
Richmond Public Schools started the new school year short 54 full-time teachers, including 23 special education teachers, according to interim Superintendent Thomas E. “Tommy” Kranz.
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Fresh start for first day
Improved George Mason Elementary rolls out red carpet for its students
Before the first students arrived Tuesday at George Mason Elementary School, Principal Rose Ferguson walked the halls and the playground in Church Hill, and then checked with teachers and support staff to make sure everything was ready. More than 400 energetic youngsters were expected to bound in for the new 2017-18 school year.
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Public comment sought on new location for police stables
Glenwood Burley once again is seeking the public’s help for Richmond Police. This time, the retired police officer wants people to offer their views on a site for a new regional stable for police horses. The new site would replace the city’s old stables on Brook Road near Gilpin Court in North Side.
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Survey open on creating city Human Rights Commission
A four-member city task force is forging ahead on a study on creating a Human Rights Commission for Richmond. The chair, Riqia E. Taylor, announced Tuesday that the task force has set up an online survey through which city residents can provide their views on the proposal.
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First Lady kicks off initiative to attract grocers to Va.’s food deserts
A new initiative could help bring new grocery stores to low-income areas of cities and counties that major chains no longer serve and that have been defined as food deserts.
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Attorney general opinion says Richmond statues may be moved
Richmond apparently could remove four of the five Confederate statues on Monument Avenue without violating a state law protecting them, according to an opinion from Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring.
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State auditor: City may be on brink of financial distress
Richmond is usually portrayed as being in good financial health despite having one in four residents living in poverty. Coupled with a building boom, the city reports a balanced budget, $114 million in savings that it does not need to tap to pay its bills and budget surpluses in each of the past two fiscal years.
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Bike sharing rolls into Richmond
By Jeremy M. LazarusNext week, Mayor Levar M. Stoney will launch the RVA Bike Share program that promotes cycling by allowing people to rent bikes for a few hours to a week or more.
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City starts tax amnesty program
Have you failed to pay city taxes? Good news. The city is now offering a two-month amnesty program to allow residents and businesses to pay what they owe without the interest and penalties that boost the expense.
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Richmond Christian Center gets 4-month reprieve from sale
The Richmond Christian Center has been given a four-month reprieve from the forced sale of its South Side sanctuary in the 200 block of Cowardin Avenue and other holdings.
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Life Church RVA has new home
The former home of the bankrupt Southside Baptist Church is the new home of The Life Church RVA.
